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Felix Hernandez said that he felt good after his first bullpen session of the year on Saturday.

The veteran right-hander threw 27 pitches during the session. The M's plan to manage his workload a bit differently this year in an attempt to keep him healthy and effective for the duration of the season. He'll make his Cactus League debut on February 26 against the Cubs. Feb 17 - 3:40 PM

Felix Hernandez will be managed differently in 2018 in hopes of keeping him healthy throughout the year.

Hernandez struggled with injuries in 2017, and even when he was on the mound, he didn't look anything like the "King." Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said the new plan could mean giving Hernandez an extra day of rest between starts, or possibly skipping him in the rotation entirely. Injuries like shoulder bursitis don't go away, so the days of Hernandez being the inning-eating ace sadly could be a thing of the past forever. Wed, Oct 4, 2017 05:03:00 PM

Felix Hernandez held the A's to one run and two hits over six innings Monday to pick up a win in his final start of the season.

The Mariners have been eliminated, so Hernandez said afterwards that he'd take the chance to end the season on a rather good note. It was his first win in six starts since July 15, and it pushed him to 6-5 with a 4.36 ERA in 16 starts for the season. One never wants to count out a Hall of Famer, but Hernandez seems done as an elite starter. Given the chance, the Mariners would take 180 innings of No. 3-starter performance from him next year. Tue, Sep 26, 2017 02:25:00 AM

If it were August, Hernandez would have been pitching in the minors his last two times out, not in the majors. As is, though, the Mariners figured their best bet was to put him on the mound and hope for the best. It worked out OK last week, when he allowed one run in 3 2/3 innings against Texas, but Hernandez walked three and, hurt by a Kyle Seager error, retired just one of the seven batters he faced in the fourth tonight. Matt Albers then gave up a grand slam after replacing him. Thu, Sep 21, 2017 01:52:00 AM

Depth Charts

Ryon Healy underwent surgery Thursday to remove a bone spur from his right hand and will be sidelined 4-6 weeks.

Healy could maybe return for the final week or two of spring training if he is able to make a swift recovery, but the 26-year-old slugger seems likely to open the 2018 season on the disabled list. Seattle acquired him from the Athletics in November for pitcher Emilio Pagan and infielder Alexander Campos. Healy began feeling discomfort in his hand during early offseason workouts and it returned when he tried to get back into the swing of things just before reporting to camp. Look for the Mariners to bring in one of the first basemen still sitting in free agency. They were probably going to want a platoon partner for the right-handed Healy anyway. He slashed just .257/.289/.428 against righties in 2017. Daniel Vogelbach and Rule 5 Draft pick Mike Ford are on the Mariners' roster too.

Guillermo Heredia (shoulder) may not be ready for the start of spring training, according to Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto.

Heredia underwent a procedure in October to address a Bankart lesion in his right shoulder. The expectation at the time of the surgery was that he would be 100 percent prior to the start of the 2018 season, but as is often the case with these things, it's no longer considered a foregone conclusion. Heredia hit .249/.315/.352 in 123 games for Seattle in 2017 and is expected to serve as the team's fourth outfielder whenever he's ready to go to work in 2018.

Tony Zych is dealing with lingering inflammation around his right forearm.

Zych battled elbow and forearm trouble down the stretch last season and it has apparently followed him into Mariners camp this spring. He's already thrown two bullpen sessions but will likely scale back his overall workload until around early March. The hope is he'll be 100 percent by the opening of the 2018 regular season. Zych finished with a 2.66 ERA in 40 2/3 innings last year.